Pure In Heart
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God (Matthew 5:8)
The World Book Dictionary defines the word pure as not mixed with anything else, unadulterated without defect, correct. Its companion word, Purity, is defined as free from moral corruption or evil, freedom from foreign or inappropriate elements.
Purity of heart is one of the absolute requirements that must be met by anyone who desires to have a good standing before God. Under the Old Covenant, according to Psalms 24:3-5, there were four requirements for a good standing before God: clean hands, pure heart, truthfulness, and lack of deceit. Living lives marked with these attributes would result in blessings from God. Today, even though we live under a new and better covenant (Hebrews 8:7-13), is it not unreasonable that these same requirements are essential for us to have a good standing before God in order to receive his blessings and one day be at home with Him in heaven?
Now, I submit to you that having clean hands, being truthful and not deceitful will be impossible without being pure in heart. Proverbs 4:23, "Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life." Jesus proclaims in Matthew 12:34 that the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The eternal wellbeing of our soul depends in large part on the desires that are allowed to take up residence in our heart. Make no mistake about this, the desires of our heart will be a determining factor in the kind of zeal, enthusiasm and commitment we have for loving and serving our God.
Psalms 37:3-7 Is a beautiful passage full of great advice that if followed will be of tremendous help as we strive to watch over the desires of our heart: Trust in the Lord and do good. . .cultivate faithfulness. . .delight yourself in the Lord. . .commit your way to the Lord. . .trust also in Him. . .rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. . .cease from anger and forsake wrath. . .do not fret.
A pure heart is one that has been cleansed and justified through the redemption and forgiveness of sins by the blood of Jesus (Colossians 1:12-14). It is a heart evidenced by a constant, steady pursuit of things that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely and of good report (Philippians 4:8). It is a heart that diligently perseveres in seeking things above, a heart set on things above not the things that are on earth (Colossians 3:1-2; Matthew 6:19-21; Matthew 6:33; Romans 12:1-2). Eternal vigilance is the price we must pay in order to maintain the purity that will allow us to one day see God and be at home with him in heaven. We must dedicate our life to the Lord God with a commitment that runs strong and deep within our heart. Study very carefully Mark 12:30 and as you do, pay close attention to that little three letter word, all.
If we are going to have that pure heart that will put our name in the Lamb's book of life and keep it there, we must be willing to commit our entire being, our entire life, everything we have to our God. It truly is and must be as we sometimes sing, "None of self and all of thee." To God be the glory forever and ever!
Charles Hicks
